Quest for the Keyblade
by Soul Reaver
Summary: Before the events of Kingdom Hearts, a band of heroes travels the worlds on a quest to manifest the only weapon capable of defeating the Heartless. A Lilo and Stitch and Titan AE crossover with some ideas of my own. Please R&R.


Wandering Swordsman  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Titan AE, Kingdom Hearts, or Lilo and Stitch Franchises. I was heavily inspired by Ruroni Kenshin when I wrote this. This takes place before Cale and Akima meet in Titan AE. (Chapter one of Quest for the Keyblade).  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Akima Kunimoto never expected the situation she was suddenly thrust into. One moment the Valkyrie had been steered by accident into a spatial anomaly and the next she found herself alone in unfamiliar surroundings. It wasn't that they were unpleasant. Far from it. There was verdant greenery all around, the trees were covered with there springtime bounty, the grass and wildflowers grew in abundance along the rural road, growing between the cracks of the cobblestones.  
  
The sun shone high in the sapphire sky with neither cloud nor haze to mar its perfection. And despite the disconcerting fact that her crewmates were nowhere to be found, it didn't seem too bad a place to be marooned. It was so Earth-like in its terrain and beauty that it caused a tear or two in her eyes.  
  
There didn't seem to be anything hostile out there, so she decided to use the road, keeping one hand close to her gun just in case something or someone decided to become hostile.  
  
Corso, Stith, Gune, and even Preed, she was already starting to miss them. They weren't anywhere to be found. And she had the horrifying thought that her crewmates, the only family she had left, were all dead, and she the only survivor on this beautiful yet uninhabited world.  
  
"Well, not entirely uninhabited." Akima remarked with a wry smile as a small butterfly landed on her nose. She smiled despite herself, "But there doesn't seem to be the habitation I'm looking for around here."  
  
About half a mile later she felt a squish under one boot. Wiping her left foot against a cobblestone she said, "Ick. At least I know there's something other than butterflies and birds around here."  
  
The cobblestone path seemed to be evidence of human or humanoid life but she didn't bet on anyone being there. For all she knew the world could have been abandoned and the road could be the remains of some long dead civilization. The horse dropping, fairly fresh, maybe a day old at the oldest seemed to indicate some sort of life. Who knew if the people of this world were friendly to strangers or not? What if one human female walking alone violated some sort of cultural taboo? These thoughts went through Akima's head as she walked down the road, sticking closely to the edge, in case she had to jump into the brush to avoid potential hostiles.  
  
Even with the possibly unknown civilization on this world, it was still incredibly beautiful in its Earth-like sort of way. It was a world Akima had dreamt of throughout her childhood. A planet of wide open spaces where the laughter of children would abound, but most importantly a place she and the surviving members of the human race could call home. As she walked along the road, she had no idea she was being watched....  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
A lone wanderer walked along the road, carrying his meager worldly possessions in a pack over his shoulder. His clothing was simple, comfortable and practical and colored in a muted earth brown tone. His trousers were a darker shade of brown than his outer tunic. On his belt was a well crafted leather belt with metal studs, and hanging from that belt was a sword crafted of Serioli steel, a product of the finest metal smiths in the land. A smaller blade, called a mercy dagger, hung on the other side of his belt.  
  
The sword the man carried was both similar and dissimilar to any sword on this world. The sword was like others, for it had two edges. It was unlike other blades of the world in that one edge was sharp as a razor and the other was dulled. The razor edged end faced the wielder at all times; the duller end faced the adversary he would face. He carried this blade so that he would be able to defend himself, but not kill his adversary with the blade. That suited the lone wanderer's purposes just fine, for ever since the war to restore the deposed king to power he vowed he would never take another life. That had been three years ago, three years he wandered, desiring only to be left alone. Three years to the day he dulled the outer edge of his sword, but kept the inner edge razor sharp.  
  
Even disadvantaged, his skill with the blade was to be reckoned with, as many of the Eric, Baron of Spyde, the Moody Tyrant's forces had discovered during the war to put the rightful king back upon his throne. The wanderer's name was Halb of Parmas, a former member of one of the rightful King's charge of foot.  
  
His blade hung at one hip, his hand hovering around the handle. Little did he know that the sword was going to have to be used in the next sixty seconds. And that the relentless foe that he would face would be far worse than the rebels. He did not know that the title he had abandoned three years ago, Halb, the Terrible Sword of Parmas, would be known once more through the land.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Akima felt, rather than saw the strange creature when it appeared from the wood work. It was about three feet tall with glowing yellow eyes, and had clawed hands. Just watching its abrupt appearance and its predatory manner, Akima determined that it was definitely hostile. She raised her gun and shot it down.  
  
The act seemed to make more of those things appear. At least a dozen more of those creatures began to materialize from out of nowhere. Akima had that figured for happening, but she didn't figure encountering the lone swordsman who appeared out of nowhere.  
  
Akima saw her attackers turn on the swordsman. "What is your quarrel with this woman, strange ones?"  
  
The man walked calmly, a small pack carried over one shoulder. He wore a sword at his belt, it resembled one of those swords from Medieval Europe from Akima's history books as a little girl on the Drifter colonies. However, he did not even have the weapon drawn from its sheath even if those things were hostile. And his clothing seemed to suggest the same period as well.  
  
The things turned toward him, claws bared and ready to swing them towards the swordsman. "I hate to have to resort to this." The swordsman said calmly.  
  
As six of the Heartless closed on him, Halb drew his sword with a calm, slow manner. Akima noticed the normally double edged blade was now single edged. The one facing the Heartless was dull, whilst the one facing him was sharp as a razor. That was completely insane, fighting with a disadvantaged blade. He was either a great fighter or a complete crackpot.  
  
Halb swung the blade in a half circled arc as he half pivoted away from the first Heartless. With a swing, he struck the creature full in the face, causing a small spray of black blood emanating from its face. Two more jumped into the fray, claws sharp and bared to cut into their new foe. Halb pivoted to face them, his sword flashing, and the dull blade striking both creatures with such force that they hit the ground.  
  
Akima kept her weapon trained on the newcomer, for she couldn't gauge his intentions. "Fear not, milady, for I intend you no harm!" Halb began, "These ruffians were accosting you and a good man shall always intervene for a lady in distress."  
  
"Like I need a knight in shining armor." Akima said.  
  
"Trouble thyself later, milady." Halb said, ducking a raking set of claws and striking the Heartless upside the head with his sword.  
  
"I'll take care of myself, sir knight." Akima replied, blasting another Heartless that was about to leap onto Halb's back.  
  
"Thou art skilled in a fight. Are thou an Amazon?" Halb asked, "Perhaps one of the warrior women of our legend."  
  
"I don't even know where I am." Akima replied, "And you're asking where I'm from."  
  
"I meant thou no disrespect milady." Halb replied, knocking down another Heartless with a blow to the jaw from the reversed blade of his sword.  
  
"What kind of man carries a blade with the sharp edge facing him?" Akima asked, noticing the strange warrior's sword.  
  
"One not seeking to kill others but merely to defend himself." Halb replied, without pause. Akima admired the swordsman's skill with his blade. He seemed to waste little, if any energy with any one stroke but they seemed to arrive with swift and were the blade sharp, fatal effect.  
  
"What are these things?" Akima asked as she threw one against a tree.  
  
"I know not these strange beings that seem to dog thee, but they are quite persistent!" Halb replied, swinging his sword in an arc that knocked another Heartless flat. Two people fighting alone could not hold off these strange fiends indefinitely. Despite the skill of her new rescuer, numbers began to tell and the strange creatures had the pair cornered in a ravine.  
  
It was when exhaustion nearly overtook them that a miracle occurred. A strange flying machine, sleek and futuristic glided through the air, blasting arcs of burning energy that killed many of the creatures.  
  
The last thing Akima saw before she practically collapsed from exhaustion was a woman with dark hair and a tan complexion dragging her into the space craft. She could see her mysterious rescuer being taken into the ship as well by a man with similar features to the woman. Two aliens, one skinny with only one eye, and a big hulking fellow with four eyes were helping the Hawaiian man carry the swordsman into the ship.  
  
"Hurry! We have to get away from this place, it's only a matter of time before the Heartless find the Keyblade." A hulking black man in a black suit shouted.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
AN: I'm not sure exactly when I can update these, for inspiration comes in small bursts for this fic. Please R&R. 


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